WhatsApp rolls out feature allowing you to download data that it collects on you

WhatsApp has rolled out its data portability tool in the form of a “Request Account Info” feature. With the ‘Request your account information’ feature, WhatsApp is allowing users to request and export a report of their account information and settings, such as contacts, profile photos, and groups, which can be accessed and ported to another app. The report does not include users’ messages. For that, you can export the chat history to your email.

To download your report, go to Settings > Account > Request account info > Download report. This will automatically download a ZIP file in your handset. The file contains an HTML file that is easy to read and a JSON file that can be ported to another app. Once the report is downloaded, users will have to select Export report, as you will not be able to view the downloaded report within WhatsApp. You will have to export the report to a third-party app.

You can also permanently delete the downloaded copy from your smartphone, but it will not delete any of your account’s data.